Public schools are often tasked with being all things for all people. For most of us, we think of schools as centers for learning. But for some, especially those of us in smaller communities, they’re more than that. Schools are a place of refuge, where students can get a decent meal or stay warm.
This weekend, as historic storms ravaged communities from Arkansas to Kentucky, we saw exactly what schools mean to so many of our nation’s small towns and rural communities.
A southwest #Kentucky town of 2,600, Dawson Springs KY, was also leveled in the #tornadooutbreak. Here are pictures taken this morning. @weatherchannel is live. #tornados pic.twitter.com/oA0bNU7orQ
— Justin Michaels (@JMichaelsNews) December 11, 2021
Absolutely catastrophic damage in Mayfield. Be in prayer for everyone here. Gentleman at the roadblock said that his house was fine, but his next-door neighbor’s house was completely gone… There will be lots of stories like that here #kywx pic.twitter.com/yOQQjyMzYK
— Whitney Westerfield (@KyWhitney) December 11, 2021
When you live in a small town, your neighborhood school is a community hub. While classes may be cancelled this week in areas impacted by the tornado, make no mistake: our schools are still open.
Behind the scenes, school staff and community members are coming together to ensure that all of our students and their families have the resources they need.
It should not take a natural disaster to bring people together. However, for those who have become weary of division and controversy at every corner, the scene on the ground is one of unity.
Local elementary schools look like Walmart Supercenters with stacks of bottled water and canned goods piled high. People with nothing in common but strong backs and willing hands are teaming up to clear off debris from driveways and yards.
These efforts, coordinated in no small part by our local schools, are a reminder of how great we can be when we unite for the common good.
The devastation of these storms will ultimately lead to much larger conversations, like the flexibility of school systems to assess and address needs in the face of community-wide crises. But for now, we should find solace in this fact: when the storms came, our schools were there.